Harry Potter and the Help of the Future
by Shadow Priesstes
Summary: Minerva McGonagall gets a letter from the past telling her that some of Voldemort's pet creatures come to the past and are threatening Hogwarts.She has no other choice then to send three teacher to the past,but how will everyone react about them?
1. Prologue

A/N: ok now this story is bugging me since I woke up yesterday morning so I have decided to write it plus continue the other two in this section. Ah right if you are one of the ones who also reads my anime fictions I will continue them right after the Sakuracon so don't worry.

Disclaimer: all the rights for the book Harry Potter belong rightfully to J. K. Rowling, I won't and never will get paid for this fic…

I. Prologue/Letter from the past

* * *

_Hogwarts, __2015 _

Professor Minerva McGonagall, current Headmistress of Hogwarts was sitting by her desk while looking worried at the letter she had received twenty minutes ago by Fawkes the phoenix of the passed away Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, whose portrait was curiously trying to see what stood in the letter. The man residing in the picture frame on his side looked annoyed at his failing attempts.

"Minerva for Merlin's shake, I think that you already know that letter even without looking at it so tell us already what it says to shock you in that way." Growled the black haired man, finally snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I think I should read it out loud." She said and started reading.

_To the current Headmaster/Headmistress of Hogwarts_

_I'm awfully sorry for bothering you with problems of the past, but I fear this is urgent. Today were two children attacked on our school grounds, but not by the same creature. One of them turned to something similar like a stone while the other student nearly died as he was attacked by a dementor, but strangely the patronus charm couldn't make it back away we needed to use the charm to sixth to finally stop it. We haven't seen something like that and so we are asking for your help and assistance to protect the past and so the future. _

_Yours sincerely_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"This is bad, that was probably one of Voldemort's special Dementors of Tartharos." Said Snape's portrait grimly.

"Yes I fear so, after Voldemort's defeat tried the aurors to get rid of them, but some managed to get away and somehow landed some of them in the past." Minerva said worried.

"Hmm…I have said something about an other attacked student who was turned to stone…." At that all three looked together.

"The basilisk." They said in union.

* * *

Professor Neville Longbottom, teacher for herbology and current Head of House of Hufflepuff was walking down the long dark corridor which leads to the dungeons. He already hated to go down there when he was a student, knowing that no one other then Professor Severus Snape, the living nightmare of every student would be down there in the cold, his fear for this place didn't change and probably never will, but one thing changed thought…

…Professor Snape was death; he gave his live in the Great Battle of Hogwarts to protect them all. The Professor Snape who was now teaching down there in the dungeons potions was his daughter Professor Devona Eileen Snape.

Neville needed to chuckle at the memory when they all had first met her. Harry swallowed his sandwich wrongly as he saw her Hermione, Ginny and her mother gapped like fish, George, Percy and Bill were shock frozen, Andromeda shook her head, the rest of the Order members only fainted or were feeling they foreheads is they had fever or were hallucinating, some of them even stared suspiciously at they drinks or food, but Ron's reaction was the best. The poor guy paled as if he would have seen Aragog again and then screamed in panic. Yep only one glance at Devona and you immediately know who her father is.

Reaching the dungeon door he knocked carefully on it, but as no reply come he walked inside.

It was deserted…

"Where could she be?" Neville asked himself as he started looking for the missing Potions Master because her mother had an assignment for her and they DADA and Transfigurations professor to do and then it dawned to him…

…where the heck were those two anyway? McGonagall will skin him if he doesn't get the trio in her office fast or worse…let him alone with Snape's portrait. Even if that man was death even his picture could frighten you to death…

_To be continued… _

* * *

A/N: so did you find out who Devona's parents are and guess who the other two teachers are? Just a little tip both Lily and Hugo are in they sixth year here…


	2. Draco, serpens and scorpius

A/N: Ok, I'm officially lacking seventeen hours of sleep, but oh well who cares…

Disclaimer: The song Élünk még/We are still alive belongs to the Hungarian band Tűzmadár, plus I will try to write the English translation under they Hungarian lines…

II. Draco, serpens and scorpius

* * *

Neville searched through the whole labor, but he couldn't find her so that only left two more places to look for her, the library and the Thestrals's stall. After an hour he was on his way to the stall as suddenly music hit his ears. First it was rather faint, but as he neared the source it got louder with every step and now he could also hear the text of the song.

_Látod élünk még, a tűz most újra ég_

_See, we are still alive, the flame burns again  
Hallgasd hát most meg életünk értelmét_

_So listen now to the ground for our lives  
Ősök vérével, új korok mérgével_

_With the blood of ancestors, with the poison of new times  
Írták a végét meg életünk könyvének_

_Have they written down the end of our lives book._

The song was in a way rather familiar, but he couldn't place a finger on it just where he had heard it.

_Felkeltünk újra, mert a vérünk erre kért_

_We stood up again, becouse our blood told us to do so  
Éljünk hát úgy, ahogy rég_

_So we shall live like back then  
Támadjon fel sírjából, aki bátor és remél_

_Those who are brave and hope shall leave they graves  
És ránk köszönt az ősi szenvedély_

_And the ancient longing_

Itt van, érezd hát múltad háláját

_It is here, so feel your past's gratefulness  
Állj meg, ne menj tovább, idáig vártunk rád_

_Stop, don't walk farther we have waited for you till now  
Fáradtan, éhezve, tüskéktől vérezve_

_Tired, starved, bleading from thorns  
Reménnyel megtelve állunk most fegyverbe_

_Filled with hope we are standing now weaponed_

Neville was till walking through the Forbidden Forest as he suddenly stopped death in they tracks.

"Now I know." He said to himself.

He had heard that song rather often when the young professor was alone, it was a present from one of her first year Slytherins, Calisto Ama. The young girl had it not easy, she was born in a muggle family and when she received her letter from Hogwarts she was practically thrown out by her parents. After learning about this in the winter break become Devona rather attached and protective for the girl, heck she particularly adopted her as her little sister. Calisto taped this song for her because it reminded her in a way at the "Great War of Hogwarts", she was reading in her history book when she first heard it.

_Felkeltünk újra, mert a vérünk erre kért_

_We stood up again, becouse our blood told us to do so__  
Éljünk hát úgy, ahogy rég_

_So we shall live like back then  
Támadjon fel sírjából, aki bátor és remél_

_Those who are brave and hope shall leave they graves  
És ránk köszönt az ősi szenvedély_

_And the ancient longing  
_

_Mint a sólyom az eget, úgy hasítja szét_

_Like when an eagle slices the sky  
A szívünket az igaz cél_

_The true goal our hearts  
Most sötétség van és így mindenki fél_

_Now is it dark and so everyone is afraid  
De eljön most újra a fény_

_But now will the light return  
Kinyújtott kezünk segítségre vár_

_Our outstreched arm is waiting for help  
Barát kell, testvéri láz_

_We need a fried, siblings fever  
Szemünket kinyitva kiáltsuk hát_

_With our opened eyes shall we scream  
Miénk az igaz világ!_

_The whole World is ours!_

"It reminds really on the war." He said with a sad smile as he remembered all those they had lost in the war. He was already near the source and he had a good guess that beside the young Potions Master he would also find they Defense and Transfigurations professors. They were inseperatable since they first met, giving they parents well mostly they fathers a rather big shock.

_Felkeltünk újra, mert a vérünk erre kért_

_We stood up again, becouse our blood told us to do so__  
Éljünk hát úgy, ahogy rég_

_So we shall live like back then  
Támadjon fel sírjából, aki bátor és remél_

_Those who are brave and hope shall leave they graves  
És ránk köszönt az ősi szenvedély_

_And the ancient longing  
_

_Mint a sólyom az eget, úgy hasítja szét_

_Like when an eagle slices the sky  
A szívünket az igaz cél_

_The true goal our hearts  
Most sötétség van és így mindenki fél_

_Now is it dark and so everyone is afraid  
De eljön most újra a fény_

_But now will the light return  
Kinyújtott kezünk segítségre vár_

_Our outstreched arm is waiting for help  
Barát kell, testvéri láz_

_We need a fried, siblings fever  
Szemünket kinyitva kiáltsuk hát_

_With our opened eyes shall we scream  
Miénk az igaz világ!_

_The whole World is ours!_

He had guessed right. There by the lake sat under an old willow tree a young woman with middle length black hair, pale skin a slightly curved nose, but it didn't seem to make her soft features ugly, she was still beautiful. She whore robes which looked strangely familiar to the ones her father liked to wear, only with the exception that she wore a long skirt instead of pants. On both of her sides sat one boy, one of them had middle length blonde hair tied back in a low pony-tail, and pale skin, the other young man had messy black hair and wore round glasses. All three of them were leaning against the three and were listening to the music, eyes closed.

Stepping out from between the trees Professor Longbottom cleared his throat to inform his young colleges about his presence. As expected three pair of eyes opened at the sound and were looking in his direction.

"Oh, hello Professor Longbottom." Albus greeted him.

"Is something wrong?" Devona asked.

"Well not fully, I don't know all too much about the situation. Your mother the Headmistress wishes to see you in her office." He said as he watched the young woman standing up, her dark eyes, the eyes of her father looking in to his. "Oh and before I forget she also wishes to see you two to." He added and the two boys nodded.

"Since when were you looking for us?" Scorpius asked suddenly and three heads turned in his direction.

"Well uhm…since two hours so we need to hurry before the Headmistress skins me alive or ugh…leaves me alone with Professor Snape." He shuddered inwardly.

"Yes, mom will be rather impatient now. Al…" Devona said to the green eyed boy on her side who nodded.

"Uhm…what are yo…." Neville stopped talking as he watched Albus take his animagus form.

Yes the second Potter boy and his two best friends learned on they own how to become animagus just like a certain troublemaker group. They forms were by Devona and Scorpius not such a big surprise, well Devona's could be called ironic then her animagus form was a rather large pearl white cobra with real poisoned teeth, Scorpius's was of course a large black scorpion, but Albus's…

…Neville was now looking up at the large Hungarian Horntail, his midnight black scaled tail laying lazily at his side. They all had nearly a heart attack when Albus had first shown them is rather unique form, but what could you await from a person who had the blood of Harry Potter in his veins, even if no one really expected this. Suddenly the herbology teacher noticed that the two Heads of Houses were both looking at him and were already sitting on Al's back.

Now that will be one Hell of a flight…

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was slowly getting impatient from all the waiting.

"I would really like to know where those four are?" she growled, they present was in high danger if something bad happens in the past and so they didn't had time to waste.

"You shouldn't be all to surprised Minerva, you have sent _Longbottom_ to get them." Snape said with extra pressure at Neville's name. Minerva wanted to already snap back with a nasty remark to the portrait of her passed away lover, who even managed to get her frustrated even after death, when they all suddenly heard a rather high pinched and most of all frightened scream.

Looking over to the window they saw it open and inside crashed a rather frightened and green looking Professor Longbottom, after him climbed two other people inside from the back of the large black dragon, and last said dragon in his human form.

"Sorry for being late." Devona said while smiling at her parents. Yes everyone freaked after finding this out.

"We don't have time for scolding. I have just got a letter from the past that two students were attacked, one as we figured by the Basilisk, Albus, Devona that shouldn't be a problem for you two that stop it from moving till you are not done." She said seriously to the three young adults. "I have already written a letter to Dumbledore explaining who you three are. We have the rather bad news that probably some Dementors of Tartharos managed to get in the past." At that all four teachers gasped.

"We are getting everything necessary and then head of." And with that the trio left the office.

"Professor…" Neville begun, but stopped.

"I trust those three my child, even if I fear for my daughter's safety…" she said in a sad tone and looked at Snape.

"She will be fine Minerva." He assured her in a soft voice which made every portray and a certain Head of House drop they jaws and stand close to fainting shock at the rather unusual and most of all shocking scene at that what they have just witnessed in this moment.

* * *

Meanwhile at the same time opened a swirling blue vortex in the middle of Dumbledore's office. The old Headmaster smiled fondly as three figures stepped in to his office.

"Welcome to Hogwarts…" he said as he stood up from his seat behind his desk.

_To be continued… _

* * *

A/N: so I hope that you liked the second chap…


	3. New teachers?

A/N: so I have returned from the Sakuracon and decided to get the new chapter up.

III. New teachers?

* * *

Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts was sitting by the fireplace in his private chambers, blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses as he looked at the trio sitting in the other chairs. He had read Professor McGonagall's letter to him, he needed to admit that he was a bit surprised about Devona's heritage.

"Well then, you three should rest now and tomorrow I will introduce you as our three new teachers." He said smiling.

"Weary well, but as what sort of teachers?" Albus asked the question the three of them thought.

"Ah yes, yes…well Mr. Potter I would like you to teach the students DADA together with Professor Lockhart." Dumbledore explained, ignoring the three flinching adults. That girl was really a look-alike to her father. "Mr. Malfoy will be taking Professor Bins's place as long as he is away to a meeting and you Ms. Snape... "He needed to chuckle while saying this, he could clearly imagine the man's reaction and that of the staff if they would met her. "…you will take over teaching the students from year one till three in potions." He said.

"Yes." Devona said as she took out three little bottles from her bag and gave each of her friends one. "This is a transforming potion it will change our appearance for the time of two weeks, if we are not ready with this till then, then we need to take a new dosis." She said.

"Thanks Dev." Come it from Albus.

"Good idea." Scorpius chimed in.

"Yes weary good indeed and now tell me on which names should I call you to not cause a rather big shock tomorrow."

* * *

On the next morning accounted Dumbledore that they will have three new teachers, Devona Prince, Scorpius Morrigan and Alphonse Damis.

When the big double doors to the Great Hall opened turned every gaze to the three new teachers who walked inside and suddenly begun some of the students to act like fish. Professor Prince was a beautiful woman in her early twenties, she had pale skin, long red hair tied back in a low ponytail and intense dark eyes. Devona had also decided to change clothes after waking up. Professor Morrigan and Damis were probably only one year younger then her, both men were good looking, Morrigan had short chocolate brown hair and soft green eyes while Damis had slightly longer light brown hair and blue eyes.

Reaching the staff table the three sat down while Dumbledore introduced them to everyone. Then the breakfast could start.

"So Miss Prince, did you have a nice ride knowing that you would met the man of your sleepless nights here?" asked Gillendory Lockhart sweetly while leaning over Professor Flitwick's plate of marmalade sandwiches.

"Hmm…yes I had a rather pleasant travel here and as for the man of my sleepless nights, hmm…I didn't see him, but when I met him I promise you that you will be the first to know Professor Lockhart." She said grinning to the now gapping man who immediately sat back again and started eating sulkily.

"A rather good move." Come suddenly a deep voice from her other side and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she was looking in the to hers so similar black eyes.

"Thank you Professor Snape." She said.

"We are colleges now so you can call me Severus." He said and Devona nodded. Lockhart was in a way right, she had met here the man of her dreams, then in her dreams was her father on her and on her mother's side, not as portrait, but as a living person.

* * *

Two days and three new attacks later was the golden trio sneaking around in the halls under Harry's invisible cloak. Students were not allowed to leave they dorminities after ten.

"Harry, do you think that this is such a good idea?" Ron asked while holding the cloak above they heads so that his best friend could look at the Marauders Map.

"We need to help out and…that is strange." Harry said suddenly.

"What is it Harry." Hermione asked confused.

"Professor Prince, Morrigan and Damis are heading to the restroom where Mirtle died."

"Harry the teachers are patrolling the castle, what is strange on that…" but just then said three teachers run past them.

"I didn't see the others running around like that." Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but we only met Snape and McGonagall and they were fighting again." Said Ron.

"We should follow." And so the Golden trio started following they three teachers, not knowing what they will witness…

_To be continued… _

* * *

A/N: so what do you think…Oh and as for the names only Albus needed to change his name completely then he can hardly use Albus or Severus now can he?


	4. Secrets and suspicion

A/N: so guys here is the next chap even if the biggest part will come from the explanation about the familiars...

P.S.: I know that they got the Map only in third year, but it is needed here

IV. Secrets and suspicions

* * *

The Golden trio made they way hurriedly after the teachers where they were confirmed that they were really heading to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"What do you think the three want in there?" Ron asked his friends after the three professors entered the bathroom.

"I don't know, but we should go after them and find out, they are acting to suspicious." Harry said.

"But Harry they are professors." Hermione stated.

"That was Quirrell to and he had You-Know-Who on the back of his head." Ron snapped. "And now we have that useless dimwit Lockhart sheessh Mione stop seeing the teachers as saints."

"But…"

"Ron is in some ways right don't you think that it is somewhat strange for Dumbledore to hire three new teachers when the school year has already started and they are acting rather suspicious now if you ask me, come now." Harry said as the group entered the bathroom carefully where the three professors stood obviously trying to decide something, Myrtle meanwhile waved at them and left o some unknown place.

"So guys who will do it?" Damis asked the other two.

"I think you should do it Al." Morrigan said while Prince nodded.

"Well then here I go." Damis said as he stepped over to the sink.

"What do you thin k h is planning to do?" Ron asked, but he felt soon the color leave his face as he heard a strange hissing noise, turning in the noises direction they all saw that it was Damis.

"_Open for ussss…"_ the man hissed to the tape, his right index finger still stroking something on it gently as suddenly the sink begun to sink till it disappeared revealing a large pipe. "Well then ladies first." Damis said grinning as professor Prince walked past him giving him a little smile before jumping in the pipe closely followed by Morrigan and Damis laving the trio to stare after them in shock.

"I can't believe it professor Damis is a parseltongue!" Ron stated incredulously.

"A what?" Harry asked a bit clueless and personally he couldn't understand what was wrong Damis only said "Open for us."

"Harry this means that Damis can talk to snakes." Hermione explained.

"And I told you that I only talked to a boa constrictor what is so wrong with talking to snakes many people can do it you heard Damis."

"No Harry the only ones beside with a big chance you and Damis were only two people well one is for sure the other a rumor, but it would not be surprising if it was true."

"Hermione would you please tell me already we need to follow them." Harry said a bit irritated.

"Harry, Salazar Slytherin was a parseltongue or why do you think the Slytherin Crest animal is a snake? And the rumors say that You-Know-Who is also a parseltongue." Hermione said softly, her hands on Harry's shoulders.

"What…but, but Damis can parseltongue to and me also…" Harry said shocked.

"We know Harry and we will find out how and from now on we need to have a closer eye on Damis." Ron said to his best friend.

"Ok, but we now need to go after them." Harry said as they followed after the three professors.

The group suddenly found themselves in a dark cave under the school, it was dark and filled with skeletons.

"Lumos." Hermione called as light appeared on the tip of her wand.

Walking in the darkness for a while they suddenly noticed the three professors standing in front of a rather strange door with snakes on it, this time it was Morrigan to step forth and speak something in parseltongue, but they were to far away to hear what he said, but they al saw with amazement as the serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight.

Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried inside aster the tree professors and were greeted by an amazing sight. They were now standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with majestic carved serpents who rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Walking between the serpent columns which gave them the uneasy feeling that the snakes hollow eyes were knowing about they presence and they needed to be careful to step in the same time as the three professors so that hey wouldn't be heard. Then after they reached the end of the chamber they saw a gigantic and most of all ancient statue of a wizard.

"What the heck is this place?" Ron asked.

"There was a part of an unknown place hidden here in Hogwarts which was never found and so most people think that it is only a legend, but guys I think we are standing here in the Chamber of Secrets build thousand years ago from Salazar Slytherin himself and that is probably his statue." Hermione said in an awed tone.

"Erm…Mione, but isn't there also a monster? Charlie once told me about that there is something down here." Ron said nervously.

"And did he tell you what it was?" Harry asked.

"No one knows."

"Hey guys look professor Prince is doing something." Hermione said suddenly and hey all looked at the professor.

"If she is also a parseltongue then I will kiss Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall tomorrow." Ron said sarcastically.

"_Ssshov yoursssself beassst my beloved ancessstor Sssalazar Sssslyterin…" _she hissed with her hands held out in the high while Ron stared in horror and both Harry and Hermione tried to decide if they should be shocked abut that what Prince said, Harry translated, or laugh or feel sympathy for Ron.

Suddenly a strange hissing noise hit they ears and something was nearing them.

"_Clossse your eyesss my darling…" _Prince hissed suddenly as and enormous serpent like beast appeared in front of the three professors.

"That can't be…" Hermione gasped in horror.

"Hermione what is it?" Harry asked, eyes never leaving the gigantic snake which lowered his head and let himself be stroked by the woman.

"It is a good thing hat professor Prince told it to close the eyes then that is a basilisk." She said nervously.

"Okey last year thee was a Cerberus, a Dragon and now a Basilisk in the school what comes next year a Werewolf?" Ron asked a bit frustrated.

"Psss….I want o hear what Prince is about to say." Harry said suddenly and they turned back to the professors.

"_Go back to ssssleep my beloved creature and only awaken at my call then I'm the true Heir by blood and not the sssshame who claimsss to be the only Heir…" _she said and the creature nodded disappearing again.

"Good work Devs." Morrigan said grinning.

"Thanks, he will sleep till we are done wit our mission and leave." She said calmly.

"We should now find out if we can still call our familiars." Damis said suddenly and the other two nodded.

"What do you think they familiars are?" Ron asked.

"Don't know, but this is strange, how do they know about the Chamber, how come all three are parseltongues and why can professor Prince control the basilisk this is all so strange." Hermione said and Harry agreed with her after he heard the professor's words, there were two Heirs of Slytherin and she was one of the two.

"_Come to usss…" _the three professors hissed and the Golden Trion paled under the cloak as suddenly two serpents rose from the water and the other flew down.

"Wow, the one by Prince is a Basilisk, that by Morrigan is an Ouroboros and that by Damis is a Naga." Hermione said as she pointed at each of the three gigantic serpents by the three professors.

"Okey it is settled we will keep one eye on them." Harry said his friends nodding.

* * *

On the next morning sat everyone in the Great Hall eating they breakfast when Draco Malfoy entered. Seeing him Ron nervously stood up and walked up to the confused blond.

"What do you want weasel?" Draco asked taunting.

"Ugh…believe me I will hate this as much as you do…" Ron said, his checks pale.

"What do you me…hmpf…"Draco found his lips suddenly cowered by the redheads, eyes widening in horror.

Suddenly every noise in the Great Hall died down as every student was watching the scene gapping in horror, some were squealing, Percy fainted, Ginny was blushing, Fred and George were stuck between shock and laughing, but they minds already threw out twenty taunting perses for the situation per second, the whole Slytherin table held also they hearts, by the staff table was everyone staring open mounted well expect Damis who was trying to calm a with his hysteric outburst fighting Morrigan at the sight of the uncle of his best friend and the father of one of his colleagues and friends kissing his father, meanwhile was Prince also trying to calm her father who looked about to faint and was about to rush over and kill Ron for molesting his godson and Minerva was leaning against Poppy for support. After Ron let go and walked back to his seat was Draco still shock frozen.

"I will take Mr. Malfoy back to his dorminity." Snape said as he stood up and walked up to Draco and lead him away. '_Lucius will not take this to well and Narcissa will go ballistic after finding out, but I first need to calm Draco and then Weasley can start with getting me that two hundred frog brains.' _

_To be continued… _

* * *

A/N: sorry if the chapter got short, and well here is a little explaining about the three familiars:

**Basilisk:**In European bestiaries and legends, a **basilisk** ('bæzɪlɪsk1, from the Greek βασιλίσκος _basilískos_, "little king"; Latin _Regulus_) is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power of causing death by a single glance. According to the _Naturalis Historia_ of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length",2 that is so venomous that it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odour of the weasel, which according to Pliny, was thrown into the basilisk's hole, recognisable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence.

Basilisk is also the name of a genus of small lizards, (family _Corytophanidae_). The Green Basilisk, also called plumed basilisk, is a lizard that can run across the surface of water. There are three descriptions to the image of the basilisk: a huge multi-limbed lizard, a giant snake, or a three-foot high cockerel with a snake's tail and teeth, all of which are shared with the cockatrice. It is called "king" because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre- or crown-shaped crest. Stories of the basilisk place it in the same general family as the cockatrice. The basilisk is fabulously alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent (the reverse of the cockatrice, which was hatched from a cockerel's "egg" incubated by a serpent's nest). In Medieval Europe, the description of the creature began taking on features from cockerels.

One of the earliest accounts of the basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder's _Natural History_, written in roughly 79 AD. He describes the catoblepas, a monstrous cow-like creature to whom "there is not one that looketh upon his eyes, but hee dyeth presently."3, and then goes on to say,

The like propertie hath the serpent called a Basiliske: bred it is in the province Cyrenaica, and is not above twelve fingers-breadth long: a white spot like a starre it carrieth on the head, and setteth it out like a coronet or diademe: if he but hisse once, no other serpents dare come neere: he creepeth not winding and crawling by as other serpents doe, with one part of the bodie driving the other forward, but goeth upright and aloft from the ground with the one halfe part of his bodie: he killeth all trees and shrubs not only that he toucheth, but that he doth breath upon also: as for grasse and hearbs, those hee sindgeth and burneth up, yea and breaketh stones in sunder: so venimous and deadly is he. It is received for a truth, that one of them upon a time was killed with a launce by an horseman from his horseback, but the poison was so strong that went from his bodie along the staffe, as it killed both horse and man: and yet a sillie weazle hath a deadly power to kill this monstrous serpent, as pernicious as it is for may kings have been desirous to see the experience thereof, and the manner how he is killed. See how Nature hath delighted to match everything in the world with a concurrent. The manner is, to cast these weazles into their holes and cranies where they lye, (and easie they be to knowe, by the stinking sent of the place all about them:) they are not so soone within, but they overcome them with their strong smell, but they die themselves withall; and so Nature for her pleasure hath the combat dispatched.

The Venerable Bede was the first to attest to the legend of the birth of a basilisk from an egg by an old cockerel, then other authors added the condition of Sirius being ascendant. Isidore of Seville defined the basilisk as the king of snakes, due to its killing glare and its poisonous breath. Alexander Neckham was the first to say that not the glare but the "air corruption" was the killing tool of the basilisk, a theory developed one century later by Pietro d'Abano.

Theophilus Presbyter gives a long recipe in his book for creating a basilisk in order to convert copper into "Spanish gold" (_De auro hyspanico_).

Albertus Magnus in the _De animalibus_ wrote about the killing gaze of the basilisk, but he denied other legends, such as the rooster hatching the egg. He gave as source of those legends Hermes Trismegistus, who is credited also as the creator of the story about the basilisk's ashes being able to convert silver into gold: the attribution is absolutely incorrect, but it shows how the legends of the basilisk were already linked to alchemy in XIII century.

Geoffrey Chaucer featured a **basilicok** (as he called it) in his _Canterbury Tales_. According to some legends, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster_who?_ or gazing at itself through a mirror. The latter method of killing the beast is featured in the legend of the basilisk living in Warsaw, killed by a man carrying a set of mirrors (the most famous version of the legend was written by Artur Oppman).

Stories gradually added to the basilisk's deadly capabilities, such as describing it as a larger beast, capable of breathing fire and killing with the sound of its voice. Some writers even claimed that it could kill not only by touch, but also by touching something that is touching the victim, like a sword held in their hand. Also, some stories claim their breath is highly toxic and will cause death, usually immediately. The basilisk is also the guardian creature of the Swiss city Basel.

The basilisk was, however, believed to be vulnerable to roosters. Travellers in the Middle Ages sometimes carried roosters with them as protection.4

Leonardo da Vinci included a basilisk in his Bestiary, saying it is so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals by its baleful gaze, it turns upon herbs and plants, and fixing its gaze on them withers them up.

In his Notebooks, he describes the basilisk:

This is found in the province of Cyrenaica and is not more than 12 fingers long. It has on its head a white spot after the fashion of a diadem. It scares all serpents with its whistling. It resembles a snake, but does not move by wriggling but from the centre forwards to the right. It is said that one of these, being killed with a spear by one who was on horse-back, and its venom flowing on the spear, not only the man but the horse also died. It spoils the wheat and not only that which it touches, but where it breathes the grass dries and the stones are split.

Then Leonardo says the following on the weasel: "This beast finding the lair of the basilisk kills it with the smell of its urine, and this smell, indeed, often kills the weasel itself."

Some have speculated a euhemeristic (rationalized, in the manner of Euhemerus) explanation for the basilisk, in particular that reports of cobras may have given birth to the stories of the monster. Cobras can maintain an upright posture, and, as with many snakes in overlapping territories, are often killed by mongooses. The king cobra or Hamadryad has a crownlike symbol on its head. Another family_verification needed_ of eleven_verification needed_ species of cobras can incapacitate from a distance by spitting venom, and may well have been confused by similar appearance with the Hamadryad. The Egyptian cobra lives in the desert and was used as a symbol of royalty.5

In William Shakespeare's _Richard III_, a widow, on hearing compliments on her eyes from her husband's brother and murderer, retorts that she wishes they were those of a basilisk, that she might kill him.6 Another famous reference to the basilisk is found in John Gay's _"The Beggar's Opera"_ (_Act II, Air XXV_):

Man may escape from Rope and Gun;  
Nay, some have out liv'd the Doctor's Pill;  
Who takes a Woman must be undone,  
That Basilisk is sure to kill".7

In the chapter XVI of _The Zadig_, Voltaire mentions a basilisk, "an Animal, that will not suffer itself to be touch'd by a Man".8 Percy Bysshe Shelley in his "Ode to Naples" alludes to the basilisk:

Be thou like the imperial basilisk,  
Killing thy foe with unapparent wounds!  
Gaze on oppression, till at that dread risk,  
Aghast she pass from the earth's disk.  
Fear not, but gaze,- for freemen mightier grow,  
And slaves more feeble, gazing on their foe.".9

**Naga:****Nāga** (Sanskrit: नाग, IAST: _nāgá_) is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of the term **nāga** is often ambiguous, as the word may also refer, in similar contexts, to one of several human tribes known as or nicknamed "Nāgas"; to elephants; and to ordinary snakes, particularly the King Cobra and the Indian Cobra, the latter of which is still called **nāg** in Hindi and other languages of India. A female nāga is a **nāgī** or **nāginī**. In Sanskrit, a **nāgá** (नाग) is a cobra, a specific type of snake (hooded snake). A synonym for _nāgá_ is _pha__ṇ__in_ (फणिन्). There are several words for "snake" in general, and one of the very commonly-used ones is _sarpá_ (सर्प). Sometimes the word _nāgá_ is also used generically to mean "snake".1 2

In the great epic Mahabharata, the depiction of Nagas tends toward the negative, and they are portrayed as the deserving victims of the snake sacrifice and of predation by the rapacious bird-man Garuda. The epic calls them "persecutors of all creatures", and tells us "the snakes were of virulent poison, great prowess and excess of strength, and ever bent on biting other creatures" (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 20). At the same time, nagas are important players in many of the events narrated in the epic, frequently no more evil nor deceitful than the other protagonists, and sometimes on the side of good.

The epic frequently characterizes Nagas as having a mixture of human and serpent-like traits. Sometimes it characterizes them as having human traits at one time, and as having serpent-like traits at another. For example, the story of how the Naga prince Sesha came to hold the world on his head begins with a scene in which he appears as a dedicated human ascetic, "with knotted hair, clad in rags, and his flesh, skin, and sinews dried up owing to the hard penances he was practising." Brahman is pleased with Shesha, and entrusts him with the duty of carrying the world. At that point in the story, Shesha begins to exhibit the attributes of a serpent. He enters into a hole in the Earth and slithers all the way to bottom, where he then loads the Earth onto his head. (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 36.)

Enmity with Garuda

The great nemesis of the Nagas in the Mahabharata is the gigantic bird-man Garuda. Garuda and the Nagas began life as cousins. The sage Kasyapa had two wives, Kadru and Vinata, the former of whom desired many offspring, and the latter of whom desired few but powerful offspring. Each got her wish. Kadru laid 1000 eggs which hatched into snakes, and Vinata laid two, which hatched into the charioteer of Surya the sun god and Garuda. Through a foolish bet, Vinata became enslaved to her sister, and as a result Vinata's son Garuda was required to do the bidding of the snakes. Though compliant, he chafed and built up a grudge that he would never relinquish. When he asked the snakes what he would have to do in order to be released from his bondage, they told him he would have to bring them amrita, the elixir of immortality. Garuda stole the elixir from the gods and brought it to the serpents in fulfillment of their requirement, but through a ruse prevented them from partaking of it and achieving immortality. From that point onward, he regarded them as enemies and as food. (Book I: Adi Parva, Sections 16ff.)

The curse of Kadru

Kadru, the ancestral mother of snakes, made a bet with her sister Vinata, the stakes being that the loser would be enslaved to the winner. Anxious to secure victory, Kadru requested the cooperation of her offspring in order to fix the bet so that Kadru would win. When her offspring balked at the request, Kadru grew angry and cursed them to die a fiery death in the snake-sacrifice of King Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, who was the son of Abhimanyu the son of Arjuna. The king of the snakes Vasuki was aware of the curse, and knew that his brethren would need a hero to rescue them from it. He approached the renowned ascetic Jaratkaru with a proposal of marriage to a snake-goddess, Manasa, Vasuki's own sister. Out of the union of the ascetic and the snake-maiden was born "a son of the splendor of a celestial child." This son was named Astika, and he was to be the savior of the snakes.

In accordance with Kadru's curse, Janamejaya prepared a snake sacrifice of a type described in the scriptures, the Puranas. He erected a sacrificial platform and hired priests and other professionals needed for the rites. Following the proper form, the priests lit the sacrificial fire, duly fed it with clarified butter, uttered the required mantras, and began calling the names of snakes. The power of the rite was such that the named snakes were summoned to the fire and were consumed by it. As the sacrifice took on genocidal proportions, Astika came to the rescue. He approached Janamejaya and praised the sacrifice in such eloquent terms that the king offered to grant him a boon of his choosing. Astika promptly requested that the sacrifice be terminated. Though initially regretful of his offer, Janamejaya was true to his word, and the sacrifice came to an end. (Book I: Adi Parva, Sections 13-58.)

Other mentions in the Mahabharata

The serpent king Vasuki helped the gods to recover amrita, the elixir of immortality, from the Ocean of Milk by serving as the cord they wrapped around Mount Mandara in order to churn up the depths of the ocean. (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 18.)

The naga princess Ulupi had a son Iravat by the Pandava hero Arjuna. (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 216.) Though he had the support of many nagas, Iravat was eventually slain by the Rakshasa Alamvusha at the battle of Kurukshetra. (Book VI: Bhishma Parva, Section 91.)

Matali, the charioteer of the god Indra, sought a husband for his daughter Gunakesi. He approached the naga Aryaka and proposed the marriage of Gunakesi with the naga's handsome grandson Sumukha. Alas, Aryaka replied, Garuda had already declared his intent to devour the comely youth, having previously murdered his father. Matali, however, persuaded Indra and Vishnu to give Sumukha a draught of amrita, the elixir of immortality. Sumukha drank the potion, and thus was rendered impervious to any assault by the lord of the birds. The young couple were happily married. (Book V: Udyoga Parva, Section 103.)

**In Hinduism**

Stories involving the nāgas are still very much a part of contemporary cultural traditions in predominantly Hindu regions of Asia (India, Nepal, and the island of Bali). In India, nāgas are considered nature spirits and the protectors of springs, wells and rivers. They bring rain, and thus fertility, but are also thought to bring disasters such as floods and drought. According to traditions nāgas are only malevolent to humans when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. They are also associated with waters — rivers, lakes, seas, and wells — and are generally regarded as guardians of treasure. According to Beer (1999),_page # needed_ Naga and cintamani are often depicted together and associated directly in the literature.

They are objects of great reverence in some parts of southern India where it is believed that they bring fertility and prosperity to their venerators.Expensive and grand rituals like Nagamandala1 are conducted in their honour (see Nagaradhane). In north India certain communities called Nagavanshi consider themselves descendants of Nagas.

Varuna, the Vedic god of storms, is viewed as the King of the nāgas. Nāgas live in Pātāla, the seventh of the "nether" dimensions or realms.3 They are children of Kashyapa and Kadru. Among the prominent nāgas of Hinduism are Manasa, Shesha or Sesa and Vasuki.

The nāgas also carry the elixir of life and immortality. Garuda once brought it to them and put a cup with elixir on the ground but it was taken away by Indra. However, few drops remained on the grass. The nāgas licked up the drops, but in doing so, cut their tongues on the grass, and since then their tongues have been forked.4

Vishnu is originally portrayed in the form sheltered by a Shesha naga or reclining on Shesha , but the iconography has been extended to other deities as well. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms: around the neck 5, use as a sacred thread (Sanskrit: _yajñyopavīta_)6 wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne.7 Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.8

According to Chattampi Swamikal, a Hindu Saint, who interpreted old Tamil texts, the Nairs were Nakas (Naga or Snake) who ruled as feudal lords in the Chera kingdom. In north India certain communities called Nagavanshi consider themselves descendants of Nagas.

Maehle (2007: p.?) affirms that according to tradition, Patañjali is held to be an incarnation of Ādi S'esha.

Norbu (1999: p.?) states that according to tradition the Prajnaparamita terma teachings are held to have been conferred upon Nargajuna by Nagaraja, the King of the nagas, who had been guarding them at the bottom of a lake. Refer Lotus Sutra.

**In Buddhism**

Traditions about nāgas are also very common in all the Buddhist countries of Asia. In many countries, the nāga concept has been merged with local traditions of large and intelligent serpents or dragons. In Tibet, the nāga was equated with the _klu_ (pronounced _lu_), spirits that dwell in lakes or underground streams and guard treasure. In China, the nāga was equated with the _lóng_ or Chinese dragon.

The Buddhist nāga generally has the form of a large cobra-like snake, usually with a single head but sometimes with many. At least some of the nāgas are capable of using magic powers to transform themselves into a human semblance. In Buddhist painting, the nāga is sometimes portrayed as a human being with a snake or dragon extending over his head. One nāga, in human form, attempted to become a monk; when telling it that such ordination was impossible, the Buddha told it how to ensure that it would be reborn a man, able to become a monk.

Nāgas are believed to both live on Mount Sumeru, among the other minor deities, and in various parts of the human-inhabited earth. Some of them are water-dwellers, living in rivers or the ocean; others are earth-dwellers, living in underground caverns. Some of them sleep on top of anthills. Their food includes frogs and they love milk._citation needed_

The nāgas are the servants of Virūpākṣa (Pāli: Virūpakkha), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guards the western direction. They act as a guard upon Mount Sumeru, protecting the devas of Trāyastriṃśa from attack by the Asuras.

Among the notable nāgas of Buddhist tradition is Mucalinda, protector of the Buddha. In the Vajrayana and Mahasiddha Traditions according to Beer (1999),_page # needed_ many notable fully-enlightened naga also transmitted and/or transported terma into and out of the human realm that had been elementally encoded by adepts.

Well-known nāgas

Ananta-Sesha: ("Limitless-Eternal") the world serpent with a thousand heads9 serving as a bed of Vishnu.

Balarama: origin of Ananta-Sesha.10

Karkotaka: controls weather.

Mucalinda: protector of the Buddha.

Padmavati: the Nāgī queen & companion of Dharanendra.

Paravataksha: his sword causes earthquakes and his roar caused thunder.

Takshaka: king of the Nāgas.

Ulupi: A companion of Arjuna in the epic _Mahabharata_.

Vasuki: king of the Nagas who helped the devas recover amrita from the Ocean of Milk.

Kaliya : A serpent conquered by Krishna

Where nāga live

Patala: (or Nagaloka) the seventh of the "nether" dimensions or realms, Bhoga-vatī being it's capital.11

Lake Manosarowar : Lake of the Great Nāgas.

Mount Sumeru

Nagaland in India

Kacha Naga/Duplicate Naga the Naga Tribes Outside Nagaland.

Naggar: village in the Himalayas, Tibet, that derives its name from Naga (serpent).

Nagpur: The name of the Indian city Nagpur is derived from _Nāgapuram_, literally, "city of nāgas".

Pacific Ocean: (Cambodian myth)

Sheshna's well: in Benares, India, said to be an entrance to Patala.

Nagadaa - where naag-yaGYa was performed.

Mekong river in Laos

Other traditions

For Malay sailors, nāgas are a type of dragon with many heads; in Thailand and Java, the nāga is a wealthy underworld deity. In Laos they are beaked water serpents. Phaya Naga, Water Dragon, is a well-known dragon in Thailand. People in Thailand see it as a holy creature and worship it in the temple. It allegedly lives in Mekong river.

In Lake Chinni

In Malay and Orang Asli traditions, the lake Chinni, located in Pahang is home to a naga called Sri Gumum. Depending on legend versions, her predecessor Sri Pahang or her son left the lake and later fought a naga called Sri Kemboja. It should be noted that Kemboja is the former name of what is Cambodia. Like the naga legends there, there are stories about an ancient empire in lake Chinni, although the stories are not linked to the naga legends. 2, 3

In Cambodia

In a Cambodian legend, the **nāga** were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. See Kaliya. The Nāga King's daughter married an Indian Brahmana named Kaundinya, and from their union sprang the Cambodian people. Therefore still Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Nāga".

The Seven-Headed Nāga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples, such as Angkor Wat, apparently represent the seven races within Nāga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with "the seven colors of the rainbow". Furthermore, Cambodian Nāga possess numerological symbolism in the number of their heads. Odd-headed Nāga symbolise the Male Energy, Infinity, Timelessness, and Immortality. This is because, numerologically, all odd numbers come from One (1). Even-headed Nāga are said to be "Female, representing Physicality, Mortality, Temporality, and the Earth."

In the Mekong

The legend of the Nāga is a strong and sacred belief held by Lao and Thai people living along the Mekong River. Many pay their respects to the river because they believe the Nāga still rule in it, and locals hold an annual sacrifice for the Nāga. Each ceremony depends on how an individual village earns its living from the Mekong River - for instance, through fishing or transport. Local residents believe that the Nāga can protect them from danger, so they are likely to make a sacrifice to Nāga before taking a boat trip along the Mekong River.

Also, every year on the night of 15th day of 11th month in the Lao lunar calendar at the end of Buddhist Lent (in 2003 it fell on October 10), an extraordinary phenomenon occurs in the area of the Mekong River stretching over 20 kilometres between Pak-Ngeum district, about 80 kilometres south of the Lao capital Vientiane, and Phonephisai district in Nong Khai province, Thailand. Fireballs spew up from the river. Everyone had doubts about this extraordinary occurrence, but later accepted what they knew as facts about the fireball: that it was not staged by humans, but happened naturally. So from then on, villagers on both sides of the river called this phenomenon the Nāga's Fireball. They believe that Nāga under Mekong River shoot the fireball into the air to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent, because Nāga also meditate during this time.4

In 2000 Richard Freeman from the Centre for Fortean Zoology visited the area and talked with witnesses who claimed to have seen gigantic snakes far larger than any python. These included a police chief and the abbot of a Buddhist monastery. The general description was of a sixty foot serpent with black scales that had a greenish sheen. He concluded that the naga legend was based on a real animal, possibly a giant madtsoiid snake.5

Prehistoric nāgas

Legends similar to the Cambodian legend exist amongst the tribal Hindus of Southern India (Adivasis) and the aboriginals of Australia. In this version of the legend, the Nāgas inhabited a massive continent that existed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean region._citation needed_ The warrior kshatriya community of Kerala nairs are believed to be the descendants of nagas, in their large joint home called "tharavadu" have a small forest/grove dedicated for nagas.

**Ouroboros:**The **Ouroboros**, also spelled **Ourorboros**, **Oroborus**, **Uroboros** or **Uroborus** (pronounced /ˌjʊəroʊˈbɒrəs/ or /ʊˈrɒbɔrɔs/), is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle. It has been used to represent many things over the ages, but it most generally symbolizes ideas of cyclicality, unity, or infinity. The ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations. More recently, it has been interpreted by psychoanalysts, such as Carl Jung, as having an archetypical significance to the human psyche.

The name _ouroboros_ (or, in Latinized form, _uroborus_) is Greek ουροβóρος, "tail-devourer". The depiction of the serpent is believed to have been inspired by the Milky Way, as some ancient texts refer to a serpent of light residing in the heavens._citation needed_

Plato described a self-eating, circular being as the first living thing in the universe — an immortal, perfectly constructed animal.

"The living being had no need of eyes when there was nothing remaining outside him to be seen; nor of ears when there was nothing to be heard; and there was no surrounding atmosphere to be breathed; nor would there have been any use of organs by the help of which he might receive his food or get rid of what he had already digested, since there was nothing which went from him or came into him: for there was nothing beside him. Of design he was created thus, his own waste providing his own food, and all that he did or suffered taking place in and by himself. For the Creator conceived that a being which was self-sufficient would be far more excellent than one which lacked anything; and, as he had no need to take anything or defend himself against any one, the Creator did not think it necessary to bestow upon him hands: nor had he any need of feet, nor of the whole apparatus of walking; but the movement suited to his spherical form was assigned to him, being of all the seven that which is most appropriate to mind and intelligence; and he was made to move in the same manner and on the same spot, within his own limits revolving in a circle. All the other six motions were taken away from him, and he was made not to partake of their deviations. And as this circular movement required no feet, the universe was created without legs and without feet."1

This, however, probably refers to the outermost planetary sphere rather than to any form of serpent.

In some representations the serpent is shown as half light and half dark, echoing symbols such as the Taijitu, which illustrates the dual nature of all things, but more importantly, that these opposites are not in conflict. In alchemy, the ouroboros symbolises the circular nature of the alchemist's opus, which unites the opposites: the conscious and unconscious mind. It is also often associated with Gnosticism, and Hermeticism.

The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end (See Phoenix (mythology)). It can also represent the idea of primordial unity. The Jungian psychologist Erich Neumann writes of it as a representation of the pre-ego "dawn state", depicting the undifferentiated infancy experience of both mankind and the individual child.2

The ouroboros has several meanings interwoven into it. Foremost is the symbolism of the serpent biting, devouring, eating its own tail. This symbolises the cyclic Nature of the Universe: creation out of destruction, Life out of Death. The ouroboros eats its own tail to sustain its life, in an eternal cycle of renewal.

The Ouroboros could very well be used to symbolize the closed-system model of the universe of some physicists. The organic chemist August Kekulé claimed that a ring in the shape of Ouroboros that he saw in a dream inspired him in his discovery of the structure of benzene. As noted by Carl Jung, this might be an instance of cryptomnesia.

Historical representations

The Ouroboros is one of the oldest mystical symbols in the world. The serpent or dragon appears in Aztec, Middle East, and Native American mythologies, among others.

Antiquity

"Coiled dragon" forms have been attributed to the Hongshan culture (4700 BC to 2900 BC). One in particular, in the shape of a complete circle, was found on the chest of the deceased.3

The notion of a serpent or dragon eating its own tail can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, circa 1600 BC. From ancient Egypt it passed to Phoenicia and then to the Greek philosophers, who gave it the name Ouroboros ("tail-devourer").

Norse mythology

In Norse mythology, it appears as the serpent Jörmungandr, one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, who grew so large that it could encircle the world and grasp its tail in its teeth. In the legends of Ragnar Lodbrok, such as _Ragnarssona þáttr_, the Geatish king Herraud gives a small lindorm as a gift to his daughter Þóra Town-Hart after which it grows into a large serpent which encircles the girl's bower and bites itself in the tail. The serpent is slain by Ragnar Lodbrok who marries Þóra. Ragnar later has a son with another woman named Kráka and this son is born with the image of a white snake in one eye. This snake encircled the iris and bit itself in the tail, and the son was named Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.

Gnosticism

In Gnosticism, this serpent symbolized eternity and the soul of the world.

Christianity

Christianity adopted the ouroboros as a symbol of the limited confines of the material world (that there is an "outside" being implied by the demarcation of an inside), and the self-consuming transitory nature of a mere "worldly existence" of this world, following in the footsteps of the preacher in Ecclesiastes 3:9-14. G. K. Chesterton, in _The Everlasting Man_, uses it as a symbol of the circular and self-defeating nature of pantheistic mysticism and of most modern philosophy.

Additionally, the ouroboros has been incorporated into the crests of the Hungarian and Romanian Unitarian churches.

Hinduism

It is also present in some Hindu folk-myths, as a snake ( Adisesha) circling the tortoise Maha kurma that supports the eight elephants which support the world on their backs. However,the snake does not bite its own tail as usually thought, but instead is calling itself into being through, what some literary theorists have called a performative speech act, its telling of the tale of its tail, rendering the propriety of its inclusion in this article questionable.

African regions

Snakes are sacred animals in many West African religions. The demi-god Aidophedo uses the image of a serpent biting its own tail. The ouroboros is also seen in fon or dahomean iconography as well as in yoruba imagery as Oshunmare.

Aztec religion

The god Quetzalcoatl is sometimes portrayed as an ouroboros on Aztec and Toltec ruins.

National flags

The flag of the short-lived Italian Regency of Carnaro featured the Ouroboros on it.

**Alchemy**

In alchemy, the ouroboros is a purifying sigil. Swiss psychologist Carl Jung saw the ouroboros as an archetype and the basic mandala of alchemy. Jung also defined the relationship of the ouroboros to alchemy:4

The alchemists, who in their own way knew more about the nature of the individuation process than we moderns do, expressed this paradox through the symbol of the ouroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. ouroboros, has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness. In the age-old image of the ouroboros lies the thought of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process, for it was clear to the more astute alchemists that the _prima materia_ of the art was man himself. The ouroboros is a dramatic symbol for the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow. This 'feed-back' process is at the same time a symbol of immortality, since it is said of the ouroboros that he slays himself and brings himself to life, fertilises himself and gives birth to himself. He symbolises the One, who proceeds from the clash of opposites, and he therefore constitutes the secret of the _prima materia_ which ... unquestionably stems from man's unconscious.

The famous ouroboros drawing from the early alchemical text _The Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra_ dating to 2nd century Alexandria encloses the words _hen to pan_, "one, the all", i.e. "All is One". Its black and white halves represent the Gnostic duality of existence.

As a symbol of the eternal unity of all things, the cycle of birth and death from which the alchemist sought release and liberation, it was familiar to the alchemist/physician Sir Thomas Browne. In his _A letter to a friend_, a medical treatise full of case-histories and witty speculations upon the human condition, he wrote of it:

... that the first day should make the last, that the Tail of the Snake should return into its Mouth precisely at that time, and they should wind up upon the day of their Nativity, is indeed a remarkable Coincidence,

It is also alluded to at the conclusion of Browne's _The Garden of Cyrus_ (1658) as a symbol of the circular nature and Unity of the two Discourses:

All things began in order so shall they end, so shall they begin again according to the Ordainer of Order and the mystical mathematicks of the City of Heaven.


	5. Of friendships and classes

A/N: I made the times up and the three other Patronus forms, and the dictionary about Al's and Scorpius's beasts is at the end of the chap…

V. Of friendships and classes

* * *

To say that Severus Snape was frustrated was an understatement, after the "_Weasley incident_" as he now dubbed the sexual molesting done to his godson who he managed to get down to his private chambers in less then an hour, what luck that Prince was holding classes now. He was really grateful to the young witch to holding him back from murdering Weasley then and there.

Now sitting on the edge of his bed while his godson was clinging to him and whimpering he really wished he knew what to do in such situations. Sure he had often babysitted Draco when he was little or kept one eye on him when he sneaked nights per floo to his home to bring him back home tomorrow and to kick Lucius out of bed, or come over when Draco got the dragon pox and Narcissa was a wreck and Lucius near a nervous breakdown and ah yes he needed to also do something after his godson come back from his first detention in his first year nearly scared to death and asking him if he could spend the night by him, sighing Severus needed to realize that all in all he knew what to do and that his friendship with Lucius and the godfatherhood for Draco teached him how to act as a parent. Sitting there with his godson still traumatized he carefully wrapped his arms around the boy and rubbed his back to calm him which seemed to work. A familiar roar of the fireplace in his living room told him that Twary delivered his massage to Lucius and he got the full confirmation as suddenly his bedroom door flew open and a panting Lucius rushed inside nearly failing to stop in front of the two people on the bed.

"What happened?"

"Lucius first of al sit down Draco won't let go of me so if you faint or have a heart attack I want you near the end of my wand." At this the blond stared confused at his friend, a sight not many people are lucky to see and live after it, but still nodded and sat down near Severus, hearing his father's silky voice Draco let somewhat go of his godfather, but was soon clinging to both men. "I hope that you were at the bathroom before coming here Lucius then this will be a rather long calming session here."

"So I have noticed and now would you be so kind please and tell me what happened?"

* * *

Meanwhile was professor Damis with the second year Slytherin and Gryffindor students on his way down to the forest when suddenly…

_**WWWW**__**HHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTT!! **_

…come the blood curling scream from the castle witch made everyone turn around and stare at it in fright.

"_Looks like uncle Lucius knows now." _Al thought smiling as he clapped his hands once to get the kid's attention back. "Well ladies and gentlemen let's keep going we don't have all day if some of you don't want to be late for Quidditch practices before your match between your houses in less then two days." Now this made everyone run past they professor. "Erm…students wait for me!" he yelled before heading after them.

After a few minutes of walking were both groups standing by a little lake. Damis looked over them smiling as he was about to start his speech he was stopped by an outstretched hand.

"Erm…yes Miss. Granger?" he asked his future-aunt-to-be.

"What will you teach us that you brought us out here?" she asked and Damis smiled not missing the suspiciousness in her tone.

"Well Miss. Granger I personally like to hold my classes outdoors I think most students can work better if not under the pressure of sitting in a stuffed classroom and being instead outside in the nature." At this most girls looked at they professor in awe. "I hope I have answered to your question." Damis said grinning and Hermione nodded.

"Damis is brilliant." Heard both Harry and Ron Pansy Parkinson whisper to an other Slytherin girl beside her who nodded dreamily.

"What do they all see in him?" Ron asked annoyed.

"Don't know, but atlas unlike Lockhart he seems to know what he does." Harry answered referring to the pixie disaster last week.

"Yes…"

"Well then today we will learn how to produce a Patronus and the four categories they can be counted in." Al said as nearly all of the pure- and half-blood students stared at him in awe.

"But isn't this a fifth year spell?" asked Parvati Patil.

"Yes it is, really good noted Miss. Patil, this is really a fifth year spell, but seeing the latest happenings I want to give you a chance to defend yourselves. Well then who knows how to produce a patronus, yes Miss Granger?"

"A patronus is produced by the spell _Expecto Patronum, _to conjunct a patronus the one using the spell needs to concentrate on a happy memory."

"Excellent ten points to Gryffindor and as a bonus I will show you lot how you do it then you will try. _Expecto Patronum!_" Al shouted and a gigantic silver colored Egyptian cobra jumped out of the tip of his wand, head held up proudly as it slithered near his master the Gryffindor students watching it with a mix of awe and disappointment that the patronus was a snake while the Slytherin students watched it with awe. "And now I want you to try don't forget, think about something which makes you really happy.

After many tries managed only three people to produce a patronus while seven more a silvery mist, each of them got ten points for they work.

"Well then it is time for the other three types I wanted to show you because the one which comes next could only the ones perform who managed to conjunct a Patronus, the second one you all can and by the third one…well let's say I would be somewhat worried about you…" at this stared everyone confused at the professor. "Well then for the next part of the class I will probably need the help of both Professor Morrigan and Professor Prince."

"Man that means we have to wait." Said Ron to Harry.

"Not quiet Mr. Weasley both of my colleges are already here." At this every student started looking around, but there was nothing, they action made Al let out a chuckle as he held both his hands out the students watched this and many of them suddenly gasped as a white cobra started slithering down Damis's right arm while a black scorpion crawled down on his left, suddenly both animals lunged forth and to everyone's awe turned in to the two professors.

"I thought you would never finish Al." Morrigan said grinning at his friend.

"You are Animagi?"

"Yes Miss Granger." Prince answered smiling while the Slytherin smiled at her, she was they favorite teacher beside Professor Snape and knowing now her Animagus form made them like her even more.

"Professor Damis are you also an Animagus?" Pansy asked suddenly, surprising everyone with her action.

"Yes Miss. Parkinson, but I like to keep it a secret in front of students and now back to class who knows which spell can be used to make a Patronus stronger?" Al asked. "Yes Mr. Weasley?" at this everyone stared shocked at Ron who himself also looked shocked about his action.

"Well…uhm…my older brother Charlie told me once that there was a spell which could make a Patronus stronger, but uhm…it is not based on the feeling happiness, but erm…on the feeling to protect something or someone." Ron finished, face scarlet like his hair.

"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor." Damis said as he nodded to Morrigan who took his wand out.

"_Expecto Patronum Expellos._" Morrigan called as a silver panther jumped out of his wand suddenly becoming larger and more dangerous looking as it let out a deep roar which made some students back away from it.

"Now the second type, I will give you a tip this is an old spell and a student can only use it after his or her sorting." Al said grinning. "Yes Miss. Patil?"

"My father told me about this they are called House Patrons and they take the form and color of the House crest and animal."

"Yes, ten points and now." With that all three teachers took out they wands.

"_Expecto House Patroni." _They called as two golden-red lions jumped from both Damis's and Morrigan's wands and a silver-emerald snake from Prince's. "I think now you all can have a lucky guess about our old Houses." Al said grinning at the gapping students.

"Okey, so Damis and Morrigan were in Gryffindor while Prince was in Slytherin which isn't a surprise she like Slytherin's great-great- you know granddaughter so no surprise there." Ron whispered to his friends.

"That surprised me to." Admitted Harry.

"I would say that it is stunning I mean you saw the three they are unrepeatable and look at us and the Slytherin we constantly bicker and hate each other." Hermione whispered back as she turned around and held her hand up.

"Yes Miss Granger?" Al asked.

"Professor I was wondering since you and Professor Morrigan were in Gryffindor, but Professor Prince was in Slytherin weren't there problems with House Rivalry between you?" she asked the question which everyone wanted to ask.

The three teachers looked together before Morrigan stepped forth to answer her.

"That is true Miss Granger we three become best friends after meeting on the Hogwarts Express, well back they I could only guess that I would land in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw Professor Prince and I were already good friends at that time with her father being the best friend of my grandfather and also godfather of my father, and well she already was because of that and because my grandfather is her godfather part of my family. So we become friends and decided that we wouldn't care in which House we get well Professor Damis kicked that decision to my favor you see his older brother was also in Gryffindor and well…he was a projective filled git so choose all Gryffindor to help me against his brother and we still said friends with Professor Prince and become also friends with most Slytherin." At this looked everyone wide eyed at the three teachers not believing they ears…

…could Gryffindor and Slytherin become really friends…?

"Well then it is now time to continue the class so it is now your turn."

It looked like as if this was the Patronus spell really everyone could use the Gryffindors looked proudly at they lions as they roamed around while the Slytherin watched they snakes slither around in awe.

"The Patronuses are also good tracker they can find a lost person rather quickly and can detect danger and unlike the normal Patronus they don't disappear if you touch them. Professor Prince told them as her patronus slithered from her arm to her shoulder.

After like ten minutes decided Damis that it was time to tell them about the last Patronus spell.

"And now the last spell for today about which we will only tell you and show you because I don't think you could use it atlas I dearly hope, together counted there were only nine people who could use it." Al let the tenth out with a good ground. "This is also the spell which explains the best why the patronus spells belong in the category Dark Arts." At this stared everyone shocked at they professor, this was only a joke these were dark spells?

"So who knows what this spell is?" Morrigan asked as a hand went up, but surprisingly it was not Hermione.

"Yes Miss Parkinson?" Al asked her as he watched Scorpius smile at the women who helped his father rise him and become later his stepmother.

"My grandmother told me that there was a spell which conjuncts a Dark Patronus and the person who tries this must reach back to the darkness deep down in they hearts which was created from a great pain." At this the three teachers nodded.

"Thirty points to Slytherin for knowing about this." Damis said in a strange tone as the adults held they wands out. "Nebularis Patroni." They called and a black mist appeared from the tips of they wands.

The student gasped as suddenly a Chimera, a Sphinx and a Thestral appeared and stood in front of they masters.

"I think you would like to know how come that we can conjunct them?" Damis asked smiling sadly and everyone nodded. "Well I can conjunct mine because you could say I was always a sensitive person and well I know the ground why Devona and Scorpius can conjunct they Patronuses, and there was a fact that my grandparents from my father's side were murdered by Voldemort…"at this most children flinched while Harry stared wide eyed then not many people dared to speak the Dark Lord's name " as was one of my uncles and my grandfather on my mother's side and some good friends of our family, I feel they pain and so I can produce a Dark Patronus." It was now Morrigan's turn.

"Let's just say my family went through Hell in the first war and then my school years were also the Hell in some parts thanks to Al's brother and well I can produce my Sphinx because of that what happened to my family and because of the fact that my mother died by my birth."

"I'm the last my Patronus is for the ones who don't know a Thestral which also pull the Hogwarts carriages, but only those can see them who saw someone die, well I can produce him because…"she took a deep breath "my birth happened in the exact minute in which three hours ago Voldemort murdered my father in cold blood while letting his pet snake rip his neck apart…" Prince said softly and nearly every student paled and some were even near fainting.

"Well then the class is over you are dismissed." Said Damis suddenly.

* * *

Sometime later was Devona sitting in the potions classroom grading some first year homeworks as suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." she called calmly as she looked up to notice Draco Malfoy standing in front of her looking a bit nervous. "Yes Mr. Malfoy how can I help you." At this she chuckled on the inside her godfather would freak if she would call him that, she had sometimes the feeling that he tried to see her as her father, and Draco would also not be happy.

"Uhm…I wanted to apologize for missing the Potions class and the Defense class the…" but Devona held her hand up.

"Your missing was understandable Mr. Malfoy, after my knowing are your classes over for today and we still have plenty of time because tomorrow is weekend so what about we take both classes through together so that you are not behind?" Devona offered and she saw a little light of happiness hush over the young Malfoy's face.

"Thank you professor."

"Well then let us start, Accio." She called as a potions book flew in her hands. "First Potions well then today we made Veritaserum, if you are ready we can start."

"But Professor isn't that a N.E.W.T. level potion?" Draco asked stunned.

"It is true, but it can help to find out rather early if someone has talent for this subject so that the teacher can help building this talent, there are only a few really brilliant Potions Masters, you can be proud to be learning under one of those few." Devona said smiling as she wrote the endangerments on the black board.

After two hours was the potion half ready and the cauldron emptied when Devona cleared the class with her wand.

"Now we will practice the Patronus spell." She said.

"I have already managed to produce my House Patronus, but the other is still only mist." Draco said using the two spells.

"Hmm…I see, but don't worry because this is an advanced spell and from a twelve years old this really great work and hints on a great potential, try to concentrate strongly on your happiest memory." She told him.

"_Expecto Patronum_." Draco called and the silver mist started to take a shape Devona perfectly knew what it would be as the sound of the door busting open broke the blonde's concentration making the spell end.

"Father!" Draco said to the dumbfoulted looking male in the door when Severus also poked his head inside.

"Mr. Malfoy I think a man from your standards knows that it is impolite to not knock before entering a room." Devona said to her future-godfather.

"Well uhm…Lucius this is one of our new teachers Professor Devona Prince and Professor well you know him…" Severus said.

"Yes, well Mr. Malfoy I think we managed to get through everything you have missed on your two classes today by the others ask your classmates for they notes." Devona said.

"Thank you Professor." Draco said as he pushed himself out of the door where his father still stood.

"We will also go, will you come later for dinner?" Severus asked.

"I don't know yet Severus." She said as she watched with an amused smile as her father dragged her godfather away, she will have to tell this Scorpius and Al so she used Ligilemency to show it them.

_To be continued… _

* * *

A/N: so here is the mini dictionary and I know that most of you know what a Testra is, but I couldn't help myself…

_Chimera __:_ Chimera on a red-figure **Apulian** plate, ca 350-340 BCE (**Musée du Louvre**)

In Greek mythology, the **Chimera** (Greek _Χίμαιρα_ (Chímaira); Latin _Chimaera_) was a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals. The Chimera was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna and a sibling of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.

Description

Homer's brief description in the _Iliad_1 is the earliest surviving literary reference: "a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle,2 and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire".3 Hesiod's _Theogony_ follows the Homeric description: he makes the Chimera the issue of Echidna: _"She was the mother of Chimaera who breathed raging fire, a creature fearful, great, swift-footed and strong, who had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion; in her hinderpart, a dragon; and in her middle, a goat, breathing forth a fearful blast of blazing fire. Her did Pegasus and noble Bellerophon slay"_4 The author of the _Bibliotheca_ concurs:5 descriptions agree that it breathed fire. The Chimera is generally considered to have been female (see the quotation from Hesiod above) despite the mane adorning its lion's head. Sighting the Chimera_citation needed_ was an omen of storms, shipwrecks, and natural disasters (particularly volcanoes).

While there are different genealogies, in one version the Chimera mated with her brother Orthrus and mothered the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion (others have Orthrus and their mother, Echidna, mating; most attribute all to Typhon and Echidna).

The Chimera was finally defeated by Bellerophon, with the help of Pegasus, at the command of King Iobates of Lycia. Since Pegasus could fly, Bellerophon shot the Chimera from the air, safe from her heads and breath.6 A scholiast to Homer adds that he finished her off by equipping his spear with a lump of lead that melted when exposed to the Chimera's fiery breath and consequently killed her, an image drawn from metalworking.7

The Chimera motif

The Chimera was situated in foreign Lycia,8 but its representation in the arts was wholly Greek.9 An autonomous tradition, one that did not rely on the written word, was represented in the visual repertory of the Greek vase-painters. The Chimera first appears at an early stage in the proto-Corinthian pottery-painters' repertory, providing some of the earliest identifiable mythological scenes that can be recognized in Greek art. The Corinthian type is fixed, after some early hesitation, in the 670s BCE; the variations in the pictorial representations suggest to Marilyn Low Schmitt10a multiple origin. The fascination with the monstrous devolved by the end of the seventh century into a decorative Chimera-motif in Corinth,11 while the motif of Bellerophon on Pegasus took on a separate existence alone. A separate Attic tradition, where the goats breathe fire and the animal's rear is serpent-like, begins with such confidence that Marilyn Low Schmitt is convinced there must be unrecognized earlier local prototypes. Two vase-painters employed the motif so consistently they are given the pseudonyms the Bellerophon Painter and the Chimaera Painter.

In Etruscan civilization, the Chimera appears in the "Orientalizing" period that precedes Etruscan Archaic art; that is to say, very early indeed. The Chimera appears in Etruscan wall-paintings of the fourth century BCE.

Robert Graves suggests12 that "the Chimaera was, apparently, a calendar-symbol of the tripartite year, of which the seasonal emblems were lion, goat and serpent."

In Medieval art, though the Chimera of Antiquity was forgotten, chimerical figures appear as embodiments of the deceptive, even Satanic forces of raw nature. Provided with a human face and a scaly tail, as in Dante's vision of Geryon in _Inferno_ xvii.7-17, 25-27, hybrid monsters, actually more akin to the Manticore of Pliny's Natural History (viii.90), provided iconic representations of hypocrisy and fraud well into the seventeenth century, through an emblemmatic representation in Cesare Ripa's _Iconologia_.13

In more recent times, the term "chimera" has been used to describe real-life entities created as amalgams of previously separate entities in fields such as botany (see chimera (plant)), genetics (see chimera (genetics)), and molecular biology (see chimera (protein)). Chimeras also surface in the Harry Potter books,_citation needed_ and the manga and anime versions of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Classical sources

The myths of the Chimera can be found in pseudo-Apollodorus' _Bibliotheca_ (book 1), Homer's _Iliad_ (book 6); Hyginus' _Fabulae_ 57; Ovid's _Metamorphoses_ (book VI 339; IX 648) and Hesiod's _Theogony_ 319ff.

Virgil, in the _Aeneid_ (book 5) employs _Chimaera_ for the name of Gyas' gigantic ship in the ship-race, with possible allegorical significance in contemporary Roman politics.14

In mathematics

Canadian mathematician George Elliott likens the classification of C-algebras to the Chimera. His famous lecture at the Fields Institute spoke of the serpent tail of the Chimera passing through to the lion head of the Chimera as a metaphor for inner automorphisms of C-algebras passing through homomorphisms of C-algebras.

Yanartaş

**Yanartaş**, anciently _Chimaera_, is the name of a geographical feature near Olympos valley and national park in Antalya Province in southwestern Turkey, at a distance of about forty kilometers to the southwest from the city of Antalya, between the district center of Kemer and the township of Beldibi, near present Tekirova.

It is characterized by a permanent fire caused by methane emissions and the area is located on a track popular with hikers and trekkers on the Lycian Way.

Some sources state that this geothermically active region was the inspiration for the myth of the Chimaera. Ctesias identified the Chimaera with an area of permanent gas vents which can still be found today by hikers on the Lycian Way in southwest Turkey. This was the citation given by Pliny the Elder, who in his second book of Historia Naturalis identified the Chimaera with the permanent gas vents in Mount Chimera, in the country of the ancient Lycian city of Phaselis, which he described as being "on fire", adding _"...indeed burned with a flame that does not die by day or night"_. Pliny was quoted by Photius and Agricola, although the exact location of the mountain described by Strabo is still open to debate.

Called in Turkish _Yanartaş_ (flaming rock), the spot consists of some two dozen vents in the ground, grouped in two patches on the hillside above the Temple of Hephaistos about 3 km north of the village of Çıralı, near ancient Olympos, in Lycia. The vents emit methane thought to be of metamorphic origin, which can spontaneously ignite. In ancient times sailors could navigate by the flames, but today they are more often used to brew tea, the flames being of little use for navigation now.

Strabo and Pliny are the only surviving ancient sources who would be expected to discuss a Lycian toponym, but the placename is also attested by Isidore of Seville and Servius, the commentator on the Aeneid. Strabo held the Chimaera to be a ravine on a _different_ mountain in Lycia, placing it unhesitatingly in the vicinity of the Cragus Mountains, southern part of the present Babadağ, some 75 km. due west as the crow flies, and Isidore quotes writers on natural history (see below) that Mount Chimaera was on fire here, had lions and goats there, and was full of snakes over there. Servius goes so far as to arrange these with the lions on the peak of the mountain, pastures full of goats in the middle, and serpents all about the base, thus imitating Homer's description of the monster.

The site was identified by Sir Francis Beaufort in 1811, and described by T.A.B.Spratt in his _Travels in __Lycia__, __Milyas__, and the __Cibyratis__, in company with the late Rev. E. T. Daniell._ The discussion on the connection between the myth and the exact location of Chimera was started by Forbiger in 1844, and the George E. Bean was of the opinion that the name was allochtonous and could have been transferred here from its original location further west, as cited by Strabo, owing to the presence of the same phenomenon and the fires.

Yanartaş is also the title of a 1970 novel by the Turkish novelist Mehmet Seyda, although not associated with the locality in question

Testimonia

_Fingunt et Chimaeram triformem bestiam; ore leono, postremis partibus draco, media caprea. Quam quidam Physio__logi non animal, sed Ciliciae montem esse aiunt, quibusdam locis leones and capreas nutrientem, quibusdam ardentem, quibusdam plenum serpentibus. Hunc Bellorophontes habitabilem fecit, unde Chimaeram dicitur occidisse._ Isidore of Seville, _Etymologiae_ 11.3.36

The Chimera is depicted as a three-formed beast; a lion in front, a python in its hinder parts, goatlike in the middle. Certain writers on natural history say it isn't an animal, but a mountain in Cilicia, which in some places feeds lions and goats, in some burns, in some is full of snakes. Bellerophon made this habitable, whence he is said to have "killed Chimaera".

Isidore unetymologically connected Lycia and Cilicia, as below.

_Lycia nuncupata quod ab oriente adjuncta Ciliciae sit. Nam habet ab ortû Ciliciam, ab occasû et meridie mare, a septentrione Cariam. Ibi est mons Chimaera, qui noctibus aestibus ignem exhalat: sicut in Siciliâ Aetna et Vesuvius in Campaniâ._ Isidore of Seville, _Etymologies_ 14,3,46.

There in Lycia is Mount Chimaera, which breathes out fire on summer nights, like Etna in Sicily and Vesuvius in Campania.

Pliny 2.105 Mayhoff

Mount Chimaera (English)

Pliny 5.43

Mount Chimaera (English

Pliny 5.53

Chimaera as a geographical reference point. (English)

"Cape" _is a __gloss__ of the translator._

_Perseus's English __version__ of Pliny differs in chapter numbering; these become 2.110, 5.28, 5.35 resp._

Servius on _Aeneid_ 6.288.

"In fact, there is a Mount Chimaera..."

Strabo 14.3.5,"a certain ravine, Chimaera, stretching up from the coast." (English)

_Near Adratchan, not far from the ruins of Olympus, a number of rounded serpentine hills rise among the limestone, and some of them bear up masses of that rock. At the junction of one of these masses of scaglia with the serpentine, is the Yanar, famous as the Chimæra of the ancients, rediscovered in modern times by Captain Beaufort. It is nothing more than a stream of inflammable gas issuing from a cavern, such as is seen in several places among the __Apennines__. The serpentine immediately around the flame is burnt and ashy, but this is only for a foot or two, the immediate neighborhood of the Yanar presenting the same aspect as it wore in the days of __Seneca__, who writes_ "Laeta itaque regio est et herbida, nil flammis adurentibus" _Letters_ 79,3 _Such is the Chimæra deprived of all its terrors. It is still, however, visited as a lion by both Greeks and Turks, who make use of its classic flames to cook __kebabs__ for their dinners._ (London, 1847) Vol. II, p.181-2

_In Lycia regio notissima est (Hephaestion incolae vocant), foratum pluribus locis solum, quod sine ullo nascentium damno ignis innoxius circumit. Laeta itaque regio est et herbida, nihil flammis adurentibus sed tantum vi remissa ac languida refulgentibus._ Seneca _Epistles_ 79, 3

Sphinx : A Sphinx is a **zoomorphic** mythological figure, which is depicted as a recumbent lion with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted figures of **Old Kingdom** **Egypt**, to which the **ancient Greeks** applied their own name for a female monster, the "strangler", an archaic figure of **Greek mythology**. Similar creatures appear throughout South and South-East Asia, and the sphinx enjoyed a major revival in European decorative art from the **Renaissance** onwards. Egyptian sphinxes

In Ancient Egyptian mythology, a sphinx is a zoomorphic figure, usually depicted as a recumbent lioness or lion with a human head, but occasionally with the head of a falcon, hawk, or ram. The figure had its origin in the Old Kingdom and is associated with the solar deity Sekhmet, who also was the fierce war deity and protector of the pharaohs. She remained a strong figure in Egyptian religion throughout its history, even during the Amarna period's temporary exploration of monotheism. The sphinxes were often described as Sekhmet's children._clarify_ The use of heads of other animals atop the lioness body followed the titular deities of the city or region where they were built or which were prominent in the Egyptian pantheon at the time.

Later, the sphinx image, or something very similar to the original Egyptian concept, was imported into many other cultures, albeit often interpreted quite differently due to translations of descriptions of the originals and the evolution of the concept in relation to other cultural traditions.

Generally the role of sphinxes was as temple guardians; they were placed in association with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples. Perhaps the first sphinx was one depicting Hetepheres II, of the fourth dynasty that lasted from 2723 to 2563 BC. The largest and most famous is the Great Sphinx of Giza, sited at the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile River and facing due east, is also from the same dynasty ( 29°58′31″N, 31°08′15″E). Although the date of its construction is uncertain, the head of the Great Sphinx now is believed to be that of the pharaoh Khafra.

What names their builders gave to these statues is not known. At the Great Sphinx site, the inscription on a stele erected a thousand years later, by Thutmose IV in 1400 BCE, lists the names of three aspects of the local sun deity of that period, _Khepera__ - __Re__ - __Atum_. The inclusion of these figures in tomb and temple complexes quickly became traditional and many pharaohs had their heads carved atop the guardian statues for their tombs to show their close relationship with the powerful deity, Sekhmet.

Other famous Egyptian sphinxes include one bearing the head of the pharaoh Hatshepsut, with her likeness carved in granite, which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the alabaster sphinx of Memphis, currently located within the open-air museum at that site. The theme was expanded to form great avenues of guardian sphinxes lining the approaches to tombs and temples as well as serving as details atop the posts of flights of stairs to very grand complexes. Nine hundred with rams' heads, representing Amon, were built in Thebes, where his cult was strongest.

**Greek traditions about sphinxes**

From the Bronze Age the Hellenes had trade and cultural contacts with Egypt. Before the time that Alexander the Great occupied Egypt their name, _sphinx_, was already applied to these statues. The historians and geographers of Greece wrote extensively about Egyptian culture. They sometimes called the ram-headed sphinxes, _criosphinxes_ and the bird-headed ones, _hierocosphinxes_._citation needed_

The word _Sphinx_ comes from the Greek Σφίγξ, apparently from the verb σφίγγω (_sphíngō_), meaning "to strangle".1 This name may be derived from the fact that the hunters for a pride of lions are the lionesses, and they kill their prey by strangulation, biting the throat of prey and holding them down until they die. The word _sphincter_ derives from the same root.

There was a single _Sphinx_ in Greek mythology, a unique demon of destruction and bad luck. According to Hesiod she was a daughter of Echidna and Orthrus; according to others, she was a daughter of Echidna and Typhon. All of these are chthonic figures from the earliest of Greek myths, before the Olympians ruled the Greek pantheon.

She was represented in vase-painting and bas-reliefs most often seated upright rather than recumbent, as a winged lion with a woman's head; or she was a woman with the paws, claws and breasts of a lion, a serpent's tail and eagle wings.

The Sphinx was the emblem of the ancient city-state of Chios, and appeared on seals and the obverse side of coins from the sixth century BC until the third century AD.

The Riddle of the Sphinx

The Sphinx is said to have guarded the entrance to the Greek city of Thebes, and to have asked a riddle of travelers to obtain passage. The exact riddle asked by the Sphinx was not specified by early tellers of the stories about the sphinx, and was not standardized as the one given below until late in Greek history.2

It was said in late lore that Hera or Ares sent the Sphinx from her Ethiopian homeland (the Greeks always remembered the foreign origin of the Sphinx) to Thebes in Greece where, in the writings of Sophocles, _Oedipus Tyrannus_, she asks all passersby history's most famous riddle: "Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" She strangled and devoured anyone unable to answer. Oedipus solved the riddle: answering, Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age.

Bested at last, the tale continues, the Sphinx then threw herself from her high rock and died. An alternative version tells that she devoured herself. Thus Oedipus can be recognized as a liminal or "threshold" figure, helping effect the transition between the old religious practices, represented by the death of the Sphinx, and the rise of the new, Olympian deities.

Sphinxes in South and South-East Asia

A composite mythological being with the body of a lion and the head of a human being is present in the traditions, mythology and art of South and South-East Asia3 Variously known as _purushamriga_ (Sanskrit, "human-beast"), _purushamirukam_ (Tamil, "human-beast"), _naravirala_ (Sanskrit, "man-cat") in India, or as _nara-simha_ (Pali, "man-lion") in Sri Lanka,4 _manusiha_ or _manuthiha_ (Pali, "man-lion") in Myanmar, and _nora nair_ or _thepnorasingh_ in Thailand.

In contrast to the sphinx in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece, where the traditions largely have been lost due to the discontinuity of the civilization,5 the traditions of the "Asian sphinx" are very much alive today. The earliest artistic depictions of "sphinxes" from the South Asian subcontinent are to some extent influenced by Hellenistic art and writings. These hail from the period when Buddhist art underwent a phase of Hellenistic influence. But the "sphinxes" from Mathura, Kausambi, and Sanchi, dated to the third century BC until the first century AD, also show a considerable non-Hellenist, indigenous character. It is not possible, therefore, to conclude the concept of the "sphinx" originated through foreign influence.6.

In South India the "sphinx" is known as _purushamriga_ (Sanskrit) or _purushamirukam_ (Tamil), meaning "human-beast". It is found depicted in sculptural art in temples and palaces where it serves an apotropaic purpose, just as the "sphinxes" in other parts of the ancient world.7 It is said by the tradition, to take away the sins of the devotees when they enter a temple and to ward off evil in general. It is therefore often found in a strategic position on the gopuram or temple gateway, or near the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

The _purushamriga_ plays a significant role in daily as well as yearly ritual of South Indian Shaiva temples. In the sodasa-upacara (or sixteen honors) ritual, performed between one to six times at significant sacred moments through the day, it decorates one of the lamps of the diparadhana or lamp ceremony. And in several temples the _purushamriga_ is also one of the _vahana_ or vehicles of the deity during the processions of the Brahmotsava or festival.

In Kanya Kumari district, in the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent, during the night of Shiva Ratri, devotees run 75 kilometers while visiting and worshiping at twelve Shiva temples. This Shiva Ottam (or Run for Shiva) is performed in commemoration of the story of the race between the Sphinx and Bhima, one of the heroes of the epic _Mahabharata_.

In Sri Lanka the sphinx is known as narasimha or man-lion. As a sphinx it has the body of a lion and the head of a human being, and is not to be confused with Narasimha, the fourth reincarnation of the deity Mahavishnu; this avatara or incarnation is depicted with a human body and the head of a lion. The "sphinx" narasimha is part of the Buddhist tradition and functions as a guardian of the northern direction and also was depicted on banners.

In Burma the sphinx is known as manusiha and manuthiha. It is depicted on the corners of Buddhist stupas, and its legends tell how it was created by Buddhist monks to protect a new-born royal baby from being devoured by ogresses.

Nora Nair and Thep Norasingh are two of the names under which the "sphinx" is known in Thailand. They are depicted as upright walking beings with the lower body of a lion or deer, and the upper body of a human. Often they are found as female-male pairs. Here too, the sphinx serves a protective function. It also is enumerated among the mythological creatures that inhabit the ranges of the sacred mountain Himapan.8

Similar creatures

Lion man, a 32,000 year-old lion anthropomorphic aurignacian figurine, has human body with a lion head.

Not all human-headed animals of antiquity are sphinxes. In ancient Assyria, for example, bas-reliefs of bulls with the crowned bearded heads of kings guarded the entrances of the temples.

In the classical Olympian mythology of Greece, all the deities had human form, although they could assume their animal natures as well. All the creatures of Greek myth who combine human and animal form are archaic survivals: centaurs, Typhon, Medusa, Lamia.

Narasimha ("man-lion") is described as an incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism who takes the form of half-man / half-lion, having a human torso and lower body, but with a lion-like face and claws.

The Manticore is a similar creature, who also features a lion's body with human-like face.

Revived sphinxes in Europe

The revived _Mannerist__ sphinx_ of the sixteenth century is sometimes thought of as the _French sphinx_. Her coiffed head is erect and she has the breasts of a young woman. Often she wears ear drops and pearls as ornaments. Her body is naturalistically rendered as a recumbent lioness. Such Sphinxes were revived when the _grottesche_ or "grotesque" decorations of the unearthed "_Golden House_" (_Domus Aurea_) of Nero were brought to light in late fifteenth century Rome, and she was incorporated into the classical vocabulary of arabesque designs that spread throughout Europe in engravings during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sphinxes were included in the decoration of the _loggia_ of the Vatican Palace by the workshop of Raphael (1515-20), which updated the vocabulary of the Roman grottesche.

The first appearances of sphinxes in French art are in the School of Fontainebleau in the 1520s and 1530s and she continues into the Late Baroque style of the French Régence (1715–1723).

From France she spread throughout Europe, becoming a regular feature of the outdoors decorative sculpture of eighteenth-century palace gardens, as in the Upper Belvedere Palace in Vienna, La Granja in Spain, or the late Rococo examples in the grounds of the Portuguese Queluz National Palace (of perhaps the 1760s), with ruffs and clothed chests ending with a little cape.

Sphinxes are a feature of the neoclassical interior decorations of Robert Adam and his followers, returning closer to the undressed style of the grottesche. They had an equal appeal to artists and designers of the romantic, and later symbolism movements in the nineteenth century. Most of these sphinxes alluded to the Greek sphinx, rather than the Egyptian, although they may not have wings.

Sphinxes in Freemasonry

The sphinx image also has been adopted into Masonic architecture. Among the Egyptians, sphinxes were placed at the entrance of the temple to guard the mysteries, by warning those who penetrated within, that they should conceal a knowledge of them from the uninitiated; and hence, Portal derives from the word from the Hebrew TSaPHaN, _to Hide_._clarify_ Champollion says that the sphinx became successively the symbol of each of the gods, by which Portal suggests that the priests intended to express the idea that all the gods were hidden from the people, and that the knowledge of them, guarded in the sanctuaries, was revealed to the initiates only. As a Masonic emblem, the sphinx has been adopted in its Egyptian character as a symbol of mystery, and as such often is found as a decoration sculptured in front of Masonic temples, or engraved at the head of Masonic documents. It cannot, however, be properly called an ancient, recognized symbol of the Order. Its introduction has been of comparatively recent date, and rather as a symbolic decoration than as a symbol that announces any dogma.

The Sphinx in U.S. Army Military Intelligence

The Sphinx has been associated with the U.S. Army Military Intelligence since 1923, when it was adopted as the insignia of the Military Intelligence Officers Reserve Corps. This mythological creature has exemplified the combination of wisdom with strength from ancient times to the present. It is on the Military Intelligence Corps regimental insignia and is included on many unit crests. A large statue of the Sphinx can be found at Fort Huachuca at the north end of historic Brown parade field not far from the MI Corps museum.9

The original branch insignia was authorized on 30 July 1923. It is described as a gold color eared shield bearing a circle connected with the border by 13 radial ribs, within the circle a sphinx in profile couchant. The thirteen stripes on the shield converge toward a common point at the center where sits the sphinx, the symbol of wisdom and strength, thus symbolizing the collection of information by the Military Intelligence; and conversely from the center after evaluation, the military information is disseminated. The Military Intelligence Branch, USAR, was merged with the newly-established Army Intelligence and Security Branch on 1 July 1962 and the insignia was cancelled.10

**Thestrals:** are the most elusive and least horse-like breed of magical horse. They have acquired an undeserved reputation as omens of evil.15 They are visible only to those who have witnessed and accepted a death,16 and are described as having "blank, white, shining eyes," a "dragonish face", "long, black manes", "great leathery wings", and the "skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse". They are also described, by Hagrid, as "dead clever an' useful".15 Dolores Umbridge asserted that Thestrals are considered as "dangerous creatures" by the Ministry of Magic.

Thestrals have fangs and possess a well-developed sense of smell, which will lead them to carrion and fresh blood. According to Hagrid, they will not attack a human-sized target without provocation. Their wings are capable of very fast flight for at least several hours at a time, though they usually spend their time on the ground, and they have an excellent sense of direction. The breed is at least semi-domesticable, given a willing trainer. Thestrals can be used to pull loads, and make a serviceable if very uncomfortable mode of transportation for someone with enough nerve.

Hogwarts has a herd in the nearby Forbidden Forest and primarily uses them to pull the carriages that transport students to and from the Hogsmeade train station. They are introduced to Care of Magical Creatures students in the fifth year by Hagrid — in the same year that Harry becomes able to see them after witnessing the death of Cedric Diggory, having previously thought that the carriages moved on their own. Thestrals are featured in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, seen attacking Death Eaters. In the same book, it is revealed that the Elder Wand has a core of Thestral hair, although no other wands are known to use Thestral hair as a core.


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